| 2023 Cleveland, Texas shooting | |
|---|---|
| Part of mass shootings in the United States | |
| Location | San Jacinto County, Texas, United States |
| Date | April 28, 2023 11:31 p.m. (CDT; UTC–5[1]) |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Weapons | AR-15 style rifle[1] |
| Deaths | 5 |
On April 28, 2023, five people, including a nine-year-old boy,[2] were shot and killed in a mass shooting in San Jacinto County, Texas, eight miles west of Cleveland, Texas, United States.[3] A manhunt is underway for the male suspect who is a neighbor of the deceased.[4]
Police said the incident occurred at 11:31 p.m. CDT, when officials from the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office in East Texas received a call about harassment west of the town of Cleveland, 50 miles (80 km) to the northeast of Houston.[1][5] At least ten people were at the house before the shooting occurred.[a]
According to police, the incident began when the suspect was asked by a neighbor (whose baby was trying to sleep) to stop firing his AR-15 rifle in his yard. The allegedly drunken suspect refused, stating it was his yard, to which the neighbor then warned that he would call the police. The suspect allegedly returned to his home to retrieve the rifle and proceeded to enter the neighbor's home, and started shooting. Five people were shot and killed, four of whom died at the scene. The 9-year-old was taken to a hospital via ambulance and was later pronounced dead.[8] Three minors were transported to a hospital after they were found covered in blood, but physically uninjured.[1][4]
A manhunt is underway for the suspect identified as a 38-year-old Mexican national. He was identified by authorities after they discovered a Mexican consulate card and footage from a doorbell camera.[5] The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Houston field office is assisting in the manhunt. A judge has issued an arrest warrant for the suspect and assigned a $5 million bond. Authorities believe he left on foot or on a bicycle. Police initially began searching within a 2-mile (3.2 km) radius of the scene[1] and later expanded parts of it to at least 10 mi (16 km) away.[9] A reward of $80,000 was offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.[2][10] An FBI release regarding the suspect used a different spelling for his name and a photo of an unrelated person, before being updated with the corrected details.[10][11]
According to ABC News, the suspect, who previously lived in Montgomery County, had been deported back to Mexico four times between March 2009 and July 2016.[12] He also had a history of shooting outside his yard and had a previous arrest history (mostly for DWI) according to Texas Department of Public Safety records.[13]
The five deceased were all Hondurans, and were identified as Sonia Argentina Gúzman, 25; Diana Velázquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; José Jonathan Cásarez, 18; and Daniel Enrique Laso-Guzman, 9.[2]
Texas Governor Greg Abbott was criticized for using the phrase "illegal immigrants" in reference to the victims, which was widely viewed as insensitive; authorities had not officially disclosed their immigration status.[14] The husband of one of the victims said his wife was a permanent resident of the United States.[15]
